Nondestructive evaluation of plasters on historical thin vaults by scanning laser Doppler
vibrometers was attempted in this article. The aim was to investigate the state of conservation
of historical plasters hanged from thin light vaults made by plaster and reeds that often
carried on their lower surface frescoes and stuccos of high historical, artistic, and architectural
value. Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometry (SLDV) could represent an effective support
for the diagnostic process of these construction system. In particular, the first results underline
that processing the data so as to estimate the so-called Operational Deflection Shapes
(ODS) does not seem to be helpful as a damage indicator; on the contrary modal analysis
seems to be effective in localizing damages present in the specimen.